REVEALED: THE 10 MOST DEMANDED COSMETIC TREATMENTS RIGHT NOW

REVEALED: THE 10 MOST DEMANDED COSMETIC TREATMENTS RIGHT NOW

With celebrities endorsing all the latest and greatest salon and at-home treatments, it’s no wonder that we all want to get in on the action. As Hollywood is “allowing” older celebrities to remain on our screens longer, which is a great thing, it has us all racing against the clock so that we too can look as good as the likes of Nicole Kidman, Jennifer Anniston, Cate Blanchett, Helen Mirren, Viola Davis, Meryl Streep, and other gorgeous forty-to-sixty-something Hollywood stars. Whereas these women may have aged naturally, it’s more likely they have access to the best treatments on the market from facials to hair removal to fat freezing and more. Let’s take a look at the 10 most in-demand in-clinc cosmetic treatments on the market.

Body contouring and cellulite treatment (Vela Once/Velashape III)

#1 Body contouring and cellulite treatment (Vela Once/Velashape III)

Even though 90% of women and 10% of men “suffer” with cellulite, practically everyone has it – despite what social media would have you believe. Usually, it starts to appear around age twenty-five to thirty-five (another joy of ageing), and especially as women approach menopause. Cellulite is normal, not unsightly, and we’d like to think few people worry about others’ wobbles and wrinkles and dimples, but for those who want a cellulite reduction, popular treatments include VelaOnce and Velashape III, which tackle areas such as bra roll bulges, arms, stomach, waist, lower back fat, hips, bottoms, and thighs as well as jawline, neck, and double chin areas. Clinical studies report that a single treatment can result in a 2.6 cm loss of volume. Overall, this treatment smooths areas and may help some women and men feel more confident if they are struggling. 

At-home alternative? There are at-home versions on the market but there’s no guarantee that they work so this treatment might be one that you have to splurge in a salon.

Cost? £200-250 per treatment area

Fat freezing (cryolipolysis/cool sculpting)

#2 Fat freezing (cryolipolysis/cool sculpting)

Cryolipolysis and/or cool sculpting is a way of “freezing” fat cells so that they can be removed from the body via lymphatic drainage. A paddle-like device suctions the area to be treated and then cools the fat cells to around -9°C to trigger cell death. Fat is more temperature-sensitive than skin and other body cells so this treatment freezes and kills fat cells but doesn’t harm other tissues. It’s a non-invasive, pain-free alternative to lipo. You’ll need several treatments for best results spaced four to six weeks apart. It’s not a “weight loss” procedure but is to be used as a way to reduce stubborn fat that going to the gym and diets alone will not remove. The results are permanent as the fat cell is killed (not shrunk as occurs in typical weight reduction). Many clients see around 4.5 inches of fat loss in a single treatment. But you can “grow” new fat cells if you don’t maintain your weight after treatment. Baroness Karren Brady has recently endorsed CoolSculpting in the media; the business guru said she’s had nothing but “a good result” from the treatment.

At-home alternative? There are no safe recommended alternatives on the market so this procedure is another treatment best left to the salon. It may be less expensive than liposuction, not to mention non-invasive and pain-free but it’s still not cheap! If you can’t afford fat freezing, a homoeopathic alternative might be face yoga. Take a look at our blog on the subject here

Cost? £250-450 per treatment area, depending on the clinic

Chemical peels

#3 Chemical peels

Chemical peels brighten and improve the skin’s appearance and texture. Usually, a specialist will apply a chemical solution to the skin, which allows the upper layers (epidermis) to peel off and blister, revealing the smoother and less wrinkled skin underneath. These peels are usually applied to the face, neck, or hands to reduce fine lines around the eyes and mouth; treat wrinkles, sun damage, and ageing; improve the appearance of scarring; improve certain types of acne; reduce age spots, freckles, and dark patches; and improve the overall look of the skin. Many clinics offer different types of chemical peels with differing downtimes and treatment prices.

At-home alternative? There are products from The Ordinary, Paula’s Choice, The Body Shop, etc that have safe at-home alternatives. But don’t forget that you can use Tria’s amazing Age-Defying Laser to see similar benefits. It really is a rockstar amongst home beauty solutions and costs a fraction of the price of a course of chemical peels.

Cost? £60-100 for mild peels and £500 for deeper peels

Face and body hair removal

#4 Face and body hair removal

There are two types of popular hair removal devices on the market: IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) and Diode laser, and both are offered at the salon and via at-home devices. Both methods remove hair but IPL will require more top-up treatments and usually causes hair thinning and reduction over permanent removal. Diode lasers are often more effective with less discomfort (some even have integrated cooling) and these lasers can treat more skin and hair types than IPL. These types of laser hair removal devices work best when there’s a contrast between the skin and the hair (think dark hair and paler skin) and don’t forget it depends on the wavelength of the laser as some can treat different skin tones and hair colours like Epilady and the nd Yag laser. In the salon, both types of treatment can be done in around an hour for full-body.

At-home alternative? There are a multitude of hair removing devices for home use available on the high street, most of which are IPL (Intense Pulsed Light), but the Tria Hair Removal Laser 4X is different because it contains an actual laser bar, which can beam a single spectrum of pure light to deep below the skin’s surface to permanently prevent hair follicles from regrowing. There is zero downtime and fewer top-ups are necessary than IPL because the laser is so precise. Find out all about my hair removal journey here.

Although you can get hair removal at a salon (I did go for IPL treatment), often it’s expensive and only greatly reduces hair instead of permanently removing it.

Cost IPL? £50-300+ per treatment area, but varies depending on location in the UK

Cost Diode? £450-2,200+ per treatment area, depending on salon location (vs £299 for the Tria at-home version)

Tattoo removal

#5 Tattoo removal

For those with unwanted tattoos, a popular salon treatment is tattoo removal where a laser breaks down the tattoo ink and it’s eventually absorbed into the bloodstream and out of the body. The process is slow and described as quite painful and some colours do not fade as easily. Different lasers work on different ink colours, with the most readily available in clinics just working on the traditional black ‘n’ grey type tattoo. So to fade a colourful and vibrant piece of skin artwork, you may need to have the colours lasered away at more than one clinic. However, for those who don’t want to look at their ex’s name on their arm, it may be a good choice! 

At-home alternative? There are various at-home creams available on the market that use skin bleaching and peeling methods. But use these alternatives at your own risk as people have had bad side effects from them so this is another treatment that’s best left to the clinic! 

Cost? £50-1,000, depending on the size, colour, and age of the tattoo, and clinic location.

Microdermabrasion

#6 Microdermabrasion

Another treatment that is used on the face, neck, chest, back, and hands to reduce fine lines, scarring, wrinkles, age spots, smooth skin, etc, microdermabrasion uses fine crystals and vacuums the skin to remove dead skin cells. It’s a fairly gentle procedure that’s not painful and resurfaces the skin to reveal younger-looking skin underneath. It usually takes around an hour and side effects are usually minimal but may include redness and swelling and flaky, dry skin for a day or two. It’s also recommended to stay out of sunlight for a few days afterwards.

At-home alternative? There are various creams and at-home devices on the market for microdermabrasion and these do work but the better at-home ones cost in the region of £200 (like the PMD device). It’s always better to go for quality when buying at-home devices and, of course, a couple of home uses will save you salon prices. Tria’s Age-Defying Laser will also help you achieve great results with regards to smoothing skin texture, fading ageing spots and acne scarring.

Cost? £60+ per treatment

Lash lift

#7 Lash lift

We have all seen those Instagram and Tik Tok clips of people getting lash lifts. You know where people’s eyelashes are glued to those little silicone rolls that look like those squishy mouse-mats from the early 2000s? Lash lifts curl your natural lashes from base to tip so you can see the full length of your lashes without the need for mascara, last extensions, or falsies! Lash lifts use a tiny curling rod and a lifting solution (kind of like a chemical perm for the lashes) but it’s completely safe when done by a licensed professional. Definitely don’t do this one at home! 

At-home alternative? There are at-home versions but these are not recommended by professionals as they are deemed unsafe, so please don’t go out and infect your eyes! 

Cost? £50-55+ for a lash lift and tinting

Hydrafacial

#8 Hydrafacial

Hydrafacials are touted as the best all-round facial these days from removing skin congestion, smoothing out texture, hydrating, plumping, collagen-boosting, and it’s one of the most popular worldwide beauty treatments. It involves a multi-step process such as exfoliating, lymphatic drainage, chemical peel, red-light therapy, hydra-dermabrasion, and so on. Each salon’s treatment may vary. You’ll leave the salon feeling glowy!

At-home alternative? There are multiple at-home devices available on the market and whilst they won’t give you the exact results of the salon, some of the higher-end options on the market do only cost the price of a single treatment.

Cost? £150-250 per treatment, depending on the salon

Non-ablative laser rejuvenation

#9 Non-ablative laser rejuvenation

Non-ablative laser skin resurfacing or rejuvenation uses a non-wounding laser to remove layers of skin and minor blemishes like dark spots and fine lines. Over the course of several treatments, with shorter recovery times, you’ll see long-lasting results. This treatment promotes natural collagen renewal, removes discolouration, smooths the skin, and reduces the signs of ageing such as fine lines and wrinkles. 

At-home alternative? We are biased (for a reason) but we recommend our Age-Defying Laser, which was created in collaboration with top plastic surgeons and dermatologists. It adds only a few minutes to your nightly skincare regime, there is zero downtime, and most users report seeing good results after just a couple of weeks.

In the past, this treatment was only available in the salon but I believe Tria’s Age-Defying Laser is the only clinically proven and safe non-ablative at-home laser on the market, using targeted beams of light to transform your face.

Cost? £450-975 per treatment, depending on the location (vs £299 for Tria’s entire at-home version and all treatments for years to come)

The light LED facial

#10 The light LED facial

This light LED facial is all about fast, effective skin treatments all within 20-minutes, meaning the lunch-hour crowd can grab a bite to eat and get a facial. Different types of light are used to stimulate collagen and heal wounds and skin problems, triggering the skin’s natural repairing process. Several treatments are needed to see results and it takes several weeks of treatments to improve your skin.

In the salon, there are two types of light treatment typically offered: blue or red. Blue LED light reduces sebaceous gland activity to improve and treat acne, kill bacteria, reduce inflammation, and sometimes heal third-degree burns. Red LED light improves scarring and signs of ageing as well as helping to heal the skin. Red light also reduces inflammation. Both of these treatments can be great, but it does take time to see results and you have to keep going back to maintain them so these in-salon treatments can get very pricey.

At-home alternative? There are many at-home versions that range from the £130-395+ price range that may work just as well at the salon for a fraction of the price. Many studies do show that the at-home versions can work as well as in-salon versions.

Cost? £80-100 per treatment, usually requiring several treatments

The takeaways

Just from this list alone, which is not by any means exhaustive, we can see just why so many celebrities look so good. When you have a seemingly endless supply of cash to throw at your face and body, it’s easy to look like a million bucks but with a good mix of occasional salon treatments and some of the safe at-home versions (or without – as natural remedies can work wonders for your skin too), you too can start to get celebrity-looking skin and look amazing at any age.

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